Temporary shutoff alarm clock mechanism



July 31, 1951 w. GILSON TEMPORARY SHUT OFF ALARM CLOCK MECHANISM Filed Feb. 25, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENIOR.

July 31, 1951 w. GILSON 2,562,712

TEMPORARY SHUT OFF ALARM CLOCK MECHANISM Filed Feb. 25, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

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Patented July 31, 1951 TEMPORARY SHUTOFF ALARM CLOCK MECHANISM William Gilson, Los Angeles, Calif. Application February 25, 1947, Serial No. 7 30,725 2 Claims. (01. 58-2115) This invention relates to alarm clocks and more particularly pertains to improvements in the alarm mechanisms thereof.

Alarm clocks of the type to which the present invention relates are provided with an alarmproducing means which is actuated by a spring in spring clocks and by a motor or magnet in electric clocks and in both cases the alarm-producing means are controlled by clock-operated or timed control mechanisms which render the alarm-producing means inoperative until the selected time is reached then release the alarm producing means whereby the alarm will be given. Also provided in these clocks are manually operable on-off controls which operate independently of the clock-actuated control means to turn on and turn off the alarm. This manual control is usually moved to off position as soon as the alarm is heeded as otherwise the alarm will sound for an objectionable length of time inasmuch as the shut-off action of the clock-actuated control means is comparatively slow. In spring clocks the spring which actuates the alarm-producing means usually runs down before the clock-operated control means moves to position to shut-ofi the alarm. In electric clocks the alarm will sound for fifteen or more minutes before the timed control means is moved into shut-ofi position. Once the manually operable on-off means is moved to the off position it will remain in that position and must be moved back to "on position to render the alarm mechanism operative. Too frequently these alarm clocks fail in their purpose due to the fact that the user forgets to move the on-off control to on position, in other words forgets to "turn on the alarm.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an alarm clock of the character described in which the on-ofl control is automatically restored to on position following the manual shutting off of the alarm, thereby making it unnecessary to turn the alarm on and eliminating one of the two manual operations heretofore required.

Another object is the provision of an alarm clock such as described in which the act of shutting off the alarm prepares the mechanism for repeating the alarm at the selected time twentyfour hours later and continues this twenty-four hour alarm schedule as long as the clock is allowed to run, provided the time setting of the alarm is not changed, it only being necessary to move the manual control to off position each time the alarm is sounded.

Another object is to provide in an alarm clock 2 or the character described a manually operable detent means which is separate from the other controls and operable at will to render the alarm mechanism inoperative as in cases where it is got desired to have the alarm given on particular ays.

A further object is the provision of an improved alarm mechanism of the character described which is of simple construction and arrangement and subject to being readily embodied in alarm clocks, particularly the electric type now in general use with but minor changes in the construction and. arrangement of the clock being required.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an electric clock embodying the present invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevation of the clock with the back removed, being taken for example on the line 22 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of part of the alarm mechanism taken on the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3, showing the alarm mechanism in the oil position and subject to operation at the time determined by the setting of the alarm,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5, showing the alarm mechanism as when the alarm is sounding,

Fig. '7 is a sectional view similar to Figs. 5 and 6 showing the alarm mechanism as when the manual on-ofi control is held in off position subject to automatic release,

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8--8 of Fig. '7 showing how the alarm timing gears are arranged,

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the timed control means in ofi position to restrain operation of the clapper unit and shut oi? the alarm,

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showing the timed control means in on position releasing the clapper unit,

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary side eleva tional view showing the manual on-off control in "off position corresponding to Fig. '7,

the gear 2d toward gear Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken'on the line [2-42 of Fig. 11 showing the manually operable detent means in inoperative position, and

Fig. 13 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 12 but showing the manually operable detent means in position for rendering the alarm mechanism inoperative.

As shown in the accompanying drawing the present inventionis embodied in an electric clock which generally includes a housing 12, an electric motor 13 supported in a frame Iii in the housing, and gearing I operated by the motor for turning the hands It relative to the dial I! in the usual manner,

The alarm means includes a resilient clapper unit l8 mounted on the frame is so that when vibrated (magnetically) in the usual manner by a magnet of the motor it will strike a bell i9 mounted on the frame and thus sound the alarm.

A combined alarm setting and clockoperated V or timed control means is provided to set the alarm and hold and release the clapper at predetermined times and includes a setting shaft H, a thumb key 20 on. end of the shaft and a drive gear 2! on the other end of the shaft. This drive gear meshes with an alarm setting gear 22 mounted on a shaft 23. A similar gear 2 is mounted on the shaft 23 opposite the gear 122 and is axially movable toward and away from gear 22 which is free to turn but held against axial movement. The gear 22 is provided with a small opening 25 adapted to receive a lug 25 on the gear 2 5 when the lug is brought opposite said opening. The gear as is driven by means of a clock-operated drive gear 21 of such size that the gear 24 makes one revolution each twenty-four hours.

Movement of the gear 24 axially of the shaft.

23 controls a detent lever unit 23 which is pivoted on a vertical pivot 29 on the frame provided at one end with upstanding stop lug 38 adapted to be moved into and out of contact with an inclined stop lug 3| on the clapper unit 98. The lever 28 is in elf position and prevents movement of the clapper unit and shuts oif' the alarm when the lugs 35 and 31 are in contact as shown in Fig. 9, and is in the on position releasing the clapper unit when the lugs Hi and 3t and iii are positioned as shown in Fig. 10. A

torsion spring 32 is associated with the lever 28 and its pivot 29 so as to urge the lever into the off position. In this connection it should be noted that the lever 23 has a its ends at. all times bearing against the hub of the gear 24 so as to urge said gear towards gear 22. However, when the lu out of registry with the'opening in gear 22, the gear 24 is held against axial movement and is then in the position shown in Fig. 5 whereby the lever is held in the ofi position preventing movement of the clapper as shown in Fig. 9. The

lever 28 and gear is will remain in these positions until the gear 24 has moved to bring the lug 25 into registry with opening 25 in gear 22, which registry will take place at the time determined by the setting, of the alarm mechanisms. At this predetermined time the spring will urge 22 and into the position will move to the shown in Fig. 6 and the lever 28 -on position shown in Fig. 6 thereby freeing the clapper unit whereby the alarm will be sounded and continue to sound until the gear 24 has moved sufliciently to remove the lug 26 from the opening 25 and onto the face of the gear 22. When the gear 24 moves axially of the shaft 23 it forces lu 33 intermediate is on the gear it is 4 the leverback into off position shown in Fig. 5 thereby shutting oif the alarm.

A manually operable on-off control is provided to turn on and turn off the alarm mechanism independently of the timed control means, that is, independently of the control action of the lever unit 28. This manual control more particularly serves as a shut-off means inasmuch as it does not have to be manually moved into the on position, being instead moved in such position automatically through the medium of special provisions hereof as will be hereinafter more fully described. As here shown the manual control includes a push-pull bar 35 slidably supported in the clock frame and having a finger gripes on its outer end and a beveled upstanding stop lug 3'? intermediate its ends for movement into'and out of contact with a beveled lug 38 on the lever unit 28. Fig. 3 shows the control bar 35 and the stop lug 31 in the on position and Fig. 11 shows these parts in the off position. When the bar es is pulled out (Fig. 3) the alarm is turned on, as the clapper is then free from contact with the stop lug 31 and the alarm will ring when the gears 22 and 24 come into position to cause the lever 28 to be retracted firom on? position as hereinbeiore explained. When the bar 35 is pushed in (Figs. 7 and 11) the alarm mechanism is positively shut off regardless of the action of the timed detent means.

In accordance with this invention means are provided for latching the bar 35 in ofi position for only that period of time required for the gear as to move the lug 25 out of the opening 25 in the gear 22 following the pushing of the bar inwardly to the off position. This means will function at that time to release the bar 35 and move it into the on position shown in Figs. 3 and 5. As here provided, if the alarm is shut off by moving the bar 35 to off position just after the alarm has initially sounded, it will take for example about twenty or more minutes for the lug 25 on gear 2 to move out of the opening 25 in gear 22 and thus move the lever unit 28 from the on position shown in Fig. 10 to the off position shown in Fig. 9. When the lever 28 moves in this manner it causes the special latch means new to be described to release the bar 35 whereupon a spring means moves the bar back to the on position shown in Figs. 3 and 5.. This latch means includes a resilient latch member 40 fixed in any suitable manner (see Figs. 5 and 6) to the lever unit 2s. The spring means comprises a V-shaped spring finger ll likewise fixed to said lever unit as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The latch member iii as here shown is adapted to ride on and snap around stop h1g3? on the bar 35 so as to hook against the outer edge of said lug as shown in Figs. '1 and 11 when the lever 28 is in the on position and the alarm is sounding, thereby holding the bar in off position and stopping the alarm. The spring finger ll bears against the inner edge of the lug 33 as shown in Figs. 7 and ll and is compressed when the bar 35 is latched in off position, so that when the latch member GE is moved out of holding position said spring finger will expand and force the bar 35 outwardly into on position shown in Figs. 3 and 5. V The latch member 40 is provided with a V-shaped hook end 65 which will hook around the lug 3? on the bar 35 as shown in Fig. 7 so as to hold the barin off position while the lever 23 is in the fon position. However, when the gears 22 and 2s operate to move the lever 28 into fofl position, the latch member, being carried by the lever unit, is moved out of latching position into the position shown in Fig. 5 and the spring finger then functions to move the bar 35 back into the on position shown in Fig. 6. This makes the alarm mechanism subject to sounding the alarm when the timed control means gears 22 and 24) move the lever unit 28 into the on position shown in Fig. 6 at the set time for sounding the alarm.

It will now be apparent that the operation of pushing the bar 35 inwardly to the off position at the time the alarm is sounding, prepares the mechanism hereof for automatic operation to move the bar 35 to on position when the timed control means (gears 22 and 24) move the lever 28 into off position, thereby making it unnecessary to pull out the bar 35 or in other words turn on the alarm in the manner heretofore required in alarm clocks.

The control of the alarm of this invention requires but one manual operation other than setting the alarm whereas clocks heretofore made require two operations other than setting the alarm, namely the manual turning off and the manual turning on of the alarm. Moreover the clock hereof is designed to Work on a twentyfour hour alarm schedule, that is, the clockoperated alarm control will operate to cause the alarm to be given once every twenty-four hours Whereas alarm clocks as heretofore made, if the manual control is left in on position will sound the alarm at twelve hour intervals. The twenty-four hour schedule is particularly advantageous in that once the clock hereof is set for sounding the alarm for example, at six-thirty a. m. it will always sound the alarm at that time each day under the advantageous one operation control hereof which makes it impossible to forget to turn on the alarm while at the same time making it possible to conveniently turn off the alarm at any time during the time the alarm is being given.

Inasmuch as it may not be desired to have the alarm repeated on particular days, I provide a separate detent means for rendering the alarm inoperative at will. As here shown this means includes a rotary shaft 43 supported on the rear wall 44 of the clock housing 12 so that it may be turned to move a detent disk 45 fixed thereto, into and out of position to fit into a groove 46 in the bar 35 when the latter has been pushed inwardly into or is held in its off position. This detent disk has a flattened edge portion 41 which when opposite the bar 35 as shown in Figs. 11 and 12 clears the bar and permits of free movement thereof, this being the inoperative position of said detent means. When turned 90 degrees or more from this position the disk 45 will extend into the groove 46 and the bar 35 will be held in position to render the clapper unit l8 inoperative thereby preventing the alarm from sounding. A spring 48 and a collar 49 on the shaft 43 hold the shaft 43 in place, with the spring setting up sufiicient friction to prevent accidental turning of the shaft and detent disk from set positions. A knurled finger piece 50 is provided on the shaft 43 to afford an easy turning of the shaft.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention I do not limit myself to the exact details of construction set forth, and the invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an alarm clock having a clock works, an alarm producing means operated by said works and including a clapper movable to sound the alarm, a lever movable into and out of position for holding said clapper against alarm-producing movement, a spring means urging said lever out of said clapper-holding position, and a clock operated timing means which holds said lever in said clapper-holding position until the set time for sounding the alarm then releases said lever whereby said spring means will move said lever out of said clapper-holding position, then restores said lever to said holding position; the improvement which includes a control member manually movable into position to hold said clapper against alarm producing movement, a latch member carried by said lever and which when said control member is moved into clapper holding position to shut-off the alarm while said lever is in clapper-releasing position as during the sounding of the alarm. is moved to a position for holding said member in clapper holding position until said timing means moves said lever to its clapper-holding position, and spring means which moves said control member out of clapper-holding position incident to movement of said lever to its clapper holding position.

2. In an alarm clock having a clock works, an alarm producing means operated by said works and including a clapper movable to sound the alarm, a lever movable into and out of position for holding said clapper against alarm-producing movement, a spring means urging said lever out of said clapper-holding position, and a clock operated timing means which holds said lever in said clapper-holding position until the set time for sounding the alarm then releases said lever whereby said spring means will move said lever out of said clapper-holding position, then restores said lever to said holding position; the improvement which includes a control member manually movable into position to hold said clapper against alarm producing movement, a latch members carried by said lever and which when said control member is moved into clapper holding position to shut-off the alarm while said lever is in clapper-releasing position as during the sounding of the alarm, is moved to a position for holding said member in clapper-holding position until said timing means moves said lever to its clapper-holding position, and spring means which moves said control member out of clapper-holding position incident to movement of said lever to its clapper holding position and a separate shut-ofi means which may be operated to hold said member in clapper holding position to render the alarm clock inoperative to repeat the alarm.

WILLIAM GILSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 956,824 Porter May 3, 1910 2,417,254 Kelly Mar. 11, 1947 

